Research Paper on Festivals in Islam by Ramon Rhoden

RESEARCH PAPER ON FESTIVALS IN ISLAM

islam

TABLE OF CONTENTS

03 Acknowledgements Major Festivals in Islam 04 Eid ul Adha -Preparations for Eid ul Adha

05 Eid ul Fitr -Preparation for Eid ul Fitr 06 Milad Dun Nabi 07 Laylat al Mi'raj 08 Ashura 09 Laylat al Qadr

10 Laylat ul Bara'ah 11 Bibliography

THE NEW YOU

FIRST LET ME THANK GOD FOR HELPING ME WITH THIS PROJECT AND THEN TO MRS. CHUNG FOR GIVING ME THIS PROJECT TO EDUCATE ME AND INFORM ME ON THE DIFFERENT FESTIVALS IN ISLAM. THEN LET ME THANK MY PARENTS AND MY FRIENDS AND MY FAMILY MEMBERS FOR BEING THERE. THANK YOU.

EID UL ADHA Id ul Adha or the Festival of Sacrifice is celebrated by Muslims to mark when Allah (God) appeared to Abraham in a dream and asked him to sacrifice his son, Ishmael, to demonstrate his devotion to the Almighty and Allah's mercy in putting a lamb in Ishmael's place at the last moment. It also marks the end of the annual Hajj to Mecca. Id ul Adha falls on the 10th day of Dhu al-Hijjah and lasts for four days. During the celebration of Id ulAdha, Muslims commemorate and remember Abraham's trials, by themselves slaughtering an animal such as a sheep, camel, or goat. When killing the animal, the Muslim must say the name of Allah to remind them that all life is sacred. After slaughtering the animal, a third is eaten by immediate family and relatives, a third is given to friends and the last third is given to the poor. This is done to show that Muslims are ready to give away something in accordance with the laws and to show their love to Allah. When giving to the poor, it shows that they are giving up some

of their own gifts in order to strengthen their relationship with Allah.They also acknowledge that all blessings are given by Allah so they must share it. On the first morning of Id ul Adha, Muslims go to their local Mosques and have their prayers. After the prayers, they visit family and friends and exchange greetings and gifts and then the meat is given away afterwards. Preparations for Eid ul Adha In preparing for the Eid ul Adha, there are several things you must do: 1. Buy the required sacrificial animal 1-2 months in advance. 2. Look after the sacrificial animal. 3. Decide your Eid clothes. 4. Prepare dishes for the occasion. 5. Set a proper schedule for Eid day. 6. Make final checks before Eid day. 7. As Eid day commences, review your schedule and 4 remember to spend the day with remembrance of its

EID UL FITR

Eid ul Fitr/Id ul Fitr is an important religious festival that is celebrated by Muslims all over the world that marks the end of Ramadan or the Holy Month of Fast and is observed as one of the major festivals of Islam. It is also called the Feast of Fast or the Feast of Breaking. Eid is Arabic word which means “a day which returns often.” Fasting at the end of Ramadan is one of the Five Pillars of Islam so this makes it extremely important. Eid al-Fitr was originated by the Islamic prophet Muhammad. It is observed on the first of the month of Shawwal at the end of the month of Ramadan. It is similar to the Christmas celebration in which families and friends would get together and exchange gifts. It is a time for peace, spirituality and brotherhood. A person who is observing the fast must abstain from food, drink, sexual intercourse and smoking from dawn until sunset during the month of Ramadan.It is forbidden to fast on the day of Eid ul Fitr and a small sweet breakfast is eaten before the Eid prayer, the Salat.

Before the Eid prayer, money is given to the poor and needy. The fast is obligatory for every healthy adult Muslim, male or female but the sick and breast feeding mothers may be exempted from the Fast. It is forbidden to fast on the day of Eid ul Fitr and a small sweet breakfast is eaten before the Eid prayer, the Salat. Before the Eid prayer, money is given to the poor and needy. During this fast, Muslims pray for forgiveness of sins, they ask for guidance and help and they try to purify themselves by doing good things. Preparation for Eid ul Fitr In preparing for Eid ul Fitr, there are certain things you must do: 1. Go shopping for this day, and buy food items and clothes. 2. Take a bath and dress in clean clothes. 3. Give Zakaat al fitr to the needy. 4. Exchange gifts with your friends. 5. Offer Salaah early in the morning in an Eidgah with other Muslims.

MILAD DUN ABI

Milad Dun Abi is a festival that Muslims in India have to commemorate Muhammad’s (PBUH) birthday. It is also known as Mawlid, Nabi Day, Muhammad’s Birthday or the Prophet’s Birthday. It is celebrated in the third month of the Lunar Islamic Calendar. The Shias and Sunnis celebrate the Prophet’s birthday in different times of the month: the Shias celebrate it on the seventeen of the month and the Sunnis celebrate it of the twelfth. It is said that the Milad was originated because in the eighth century, Muhammad’s (PUBH) house was converted into a house of prayer by a caliph’s mother, Al-Khayzuran. The caliph was Harun al Rashid so it was originally celebrated by Shias. It was later adopted by Sunni Muslims in the 12th century with a different date. In the 13th century, it was celebrated by making animal sacrifices and large gatherings and persons with political power were given gifts. The Milad is celebrated in different ways by different Muslims all around the world. The day is celebrated with the offering of prayers in Mosques by Muslims around the world. In Pakistan, the national flag is raised and a gun salute is done at dawn and in Israel, carnivals take place and people exchange gifts and give to the poor. It is now seen as a national holiday in most Islamic states.

Muslims do a lot of different activities on Milad Un Nabi. Many activities include: • Night-long prayer meetings. • Marches and parades involving large crowds. • Sandal rites over the symbolic footprints of the Prophet Muhammad. • Festive banners and bunting on and in homes, mosques and other buildings. • Communal meals in mosques and other community buildings. • Meetings to listen to stories and poems (nats) about Mohammad's life, deeds and teachings. • Exhibitions featuring photos of mosques in the holy cities of Mecca and Medina in Saudi Arabia.

LAILAT AL MI'RAJ The Lailat al Mi’raj or the Isra and Mi’raj are two parts of a journey Muhammad took one night in the year 621. The journey was described as both a physical and spiritual. During the month of Rajab, the Prophet Muhammad made a night - trip to the city of Jerusalem (isra’). The first part of the journey begins with the Prophet Muhammad at the Kabaa in Mecca. He is visited by two archangels who provide him with a winged steed called Buraq. Buraq carries the Prophet to the ‘Farthest Mosque,’ believed by Muslims to be the Al Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem, where Muhammad joins past prophets in prayer.He visited the Al-Aqsa Mosque, and from there was raised up into heaven. This second part of the journey is commonly referred to as the Miraj, an Arabic word meaning “ladder.” While there, he came face-to-face with previous prophets and received instructions about the number of prayers the Muslim community should observe each day.The Isra part of the journey is where Muhammad spoke to the prophets that were with him and he ascended to Heaven and spoke to Allah who gave him details of prayer.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

The Isra part of the journey is where Muhammad spoke to the prophets that were with him and he ascended to Heaven and spoke to Allah who gave him details of prayer. The journey is well detailed in the Quran and a few of what he said is in the Haddith. His journey, known in history as Miraj (Ascension), was a real bodily one and not only a vision. It was at this time that Allah ordered the Muslims to pray the five daily prayers. Today Lailat al Miraj is observed by Muslims as one of the most important events in the history of Islam. Muslims may attend special prayer services at a mosque, or they may commemorate the holiday privately at home by telling the story to children or reciting special nighttime prayers. Muslims around the world spend the night awake in prayer, retelling the sacred Night Journey of Muhammad, one of the most spectacular stories from the Muhammad’s life. In predominantly Muslim countries, cities are illuminated all night in celebration. NOMADIC

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ASHURA Ashura is a holiday that is celebrated by both Sunni and Shiite Muslims. The word “Ashura” means “tenth” in Arabic, since the holiday falls on the tenth day of Muharram, the first month in the Islamic calendar. Sunni Muslims think that the Day of Ashura is a day of fast and it also commemorates the Exodus of Moses leading the Israelites out of Egypt. The fast is done to show Allah’s all-powerfulness and compassion and they would also postpone happy events such as weddings or birthdays to focus on the fasting. Ashura is a day of great historical significance. On this day, Allah was said to have done many things: 1. Allah accepted the repentance of Adam after his exile from Paradise Allah saved Noah and his family in the ark. 2. Allah spoke directly to Moses and gave him the Commandments. 3. Jonah was taken out from the belly of the fish. 4. The Red Sea was divided as the nation of Israel was delivered from captivity and Pharoah’s army was destroyed.

Sunni Muslims Praying on Ashura

For Shiite Muslims, the Day of Ashura is to commemorate the death of Imam Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Huessin was a martyr that went up against Yazin, a tyrant the Ummayad Dynasty, in the Battle of Karbala in 680 in which Huessin died. Hussein and his small army was slaughtered by an army sent by Yazid, a ruler whom Shiites consider a usurper of the caliphate, which belongs in their view to the line of Ali, Hussein's father. The Shiite men and women dress in black, beat their chests and chant while others reenact the Battle of Karbala with mourning rituals. Known as passion plays, the performances include a mourning procession and speeches. Some Shiite men whip themselves with chains and cut themselves with knives on their foreheads as a way to mourn for Hussein in a ritual called "tatbeer." Many make a pilgrimage on Ashura to the Mashhad al-Husayn, the shrine in Karbala that is regarded as Hussein’s tomb.

Shiite Muslims Flagellating Themselves

Laylat al qadr

Each year, tens of thousands of Muslims gather in Mecca to commemorate the Laylat al Qadr.

The Laylat Al Qadr, the Night of Decree or the Night of Power is the name given to the night in which Muhammad was given the verses of the Quran by Allah. Muslims believe that this night is one of the most important nights in Ramadan and that it is better than 1000 months of worship. They also believe that this night is a night when Allah forgives sins and blesses people in abundance. Most Muslims believe that there are two phases to the Laylat al Qadr. They believe that the Angel Gabriel received the Laylat al Qadr in its entirety but Muhammad received it verse by verse over a period of 23 years. The revelation of the Laylat al Qadr started in 610 CE at the Hira Cave on Mount Nur in Mecca. During this revelation, the Surat al Alaq, the first chapter of the Quran, was revealed to Muhammad. The first five verses of this chapter were revealed. For Sunni Muslims, the Laylat al Qadr is said to be on one of the last odd five nights of the last 10 days of Ramadan. The last odd nights are the 21st, 23rd, 25th, 27th and 29th. Many Muslim traditions say that it is on the night before the 27th of Ramadan. For Shia Muslims, they believe that it is on one of the last odd ten nights of Ramadan. Therefore Laylat al Qadr is either on the 19th, 21st or the 23rd. They worship during these nights and regard as a night of great rewards. Majority of Shia Muslims celebrate Laylat al Qadr on the 23rd of Ramadan because Muhammad and his family had observed it during this time. Muslims fast and pray and recite the Qur’an. In the night, people would break their fast and eat and drink. Some Muslims would perform the I’tikaf, this is when they would stay in the Mosque for prayers and recitation for the last ten days of the month.

During the month of Ramadan, people fast, pray and refrain from sexual activities. People who live near a mosque or a Muslim household may hear the Koran being read aloud or recited during this period. This is an attempt to read the entire Koran in the month of Ramadan. Good deeds are also performed during this time, as it is a night of forgiveness. Some Muslims believe that Laylat al-Qadr is the date when God reveals their fates for the entire year.

LAYLAT UL BARA’AH

Laylat ul Bara’at or Bara’at Night is said to be a night when Allah decides the fortune of men and when He forgives sinner. Muslims also commemorate and honor their ancestors. tIt is observed between the 14 and 15 of Sha’ban. This day is also said to be the birthday of Muhammad al Mahdi. It is also said that this night may be related to the Laylat al Qadr because of a verse in the Qur’an that speaks about receiving the Qur’an on that night as well. Sunni Muslims believe that this is a night of worship and salvation and they also believe that this is one of the five nights in which Allah answers prayer. They would perform a special ceremony called Nawaafi, recite the Qur’an and seek forgiveness for their sins in which Allah would forgive them. Some Islamic leaders also acknowledge Muhammad on this night. The Laylatul ul Bara’at is celebrated Islam

based countries such as India, Pakistan, Iran and Lebanon. In Iraq, children get candies as they walk around the neighborhood. In some countries, Muslims make sweets and give to the poor and their neighbors. The Sunni Muslims celebrate this holiday 15 days before Ramadan. On this night, you should perform fresh Ghusal and Wudhu and perform two Rakaat of Tahhiyatul Wudhu. In every Rakaat, after the Suratul Fatiha, the Ayatul Kursi is read once and Surah Ahad three times. After sunset, you should recite "La Hawla walaa Quwwata illa Billahil-Aliyil Azeem" forty times with three times Durood Shareef before and after. It is mentioned that by reciting this, Almighty Allah will forgive forty years of your sins and forty Hoors (women of paradise) will await to serve you in Jannatul Firdous (the highest part of Islamic Paradise).

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